How to Buy, Store, and Cook Butternut Squash, in Season in Autumn

How to Buy, Store, and Cook Butternut Squash, in Season in Autumn

Is your sweater on? Check. Have a scarf around your neck? Check. Are your feet bundled up in boots and warm woolen socks? Affirmative. Then allow us to state the obvious: It's cold outside. There are plenty of advantages to the cooler weather, though, and chief among them is this: it’s squash season. It would take all day to enumerate the delights afforded by butternut squash. It's shapely, it's sweet, and, yes, true to its name, it's buttery and nutty. Here are 24 recipes that will have you bowing down and thanking Mother Nature for all these brisk autumn days.

How to BuyButternut squash is available year-round, but it's best from early fall through winter. Look for a squash that feels heavy for its size; one with a fat neck and small bulb will have the smallest seed cavity, yielding the most meat. Butternut squash should have a hard skin without bruises or mold. (A darker-colored spot indicating where the squash has been resting is fine).

How to StoreDo not refrigerate whole butternut squash; it will keep for a month or more in a cool, dark place. Peeled butternut squash should be stored tightly covered and refrigerated for up to five days. Do you hate how your hands feel after cutting squash? You're not alone. We made a video to teach you how to cut it.